The Cage

It was on 7th July when I started experiencing some changes within our compound, the sky was blue and no cloud appeared yet it was July. some things are to be put in order I said in my heart. why do we dress like this? This very same question brought a lot of challenges within me. is it the mistakes of our ancestors or us?...no one was responsible for the question. I took a bucket of water and place it on the sun since firewood was a mile away from our shamba. mom could wake us up early in the morning just to escort her on her firewood journey. I used to sneak in those days but today I couldn't do otherwise but to accept as to the punishment attached to this disobedience. I used to walk very fast overcoming her strong steps later to discover that it was not an escort but to rather help her carry the heavy raden. This will never make us to survive mom!!!! I shouted' but her calmness could tell me that a'm supposed to be quiet. Being the elder brother life was hard. I wished to be back in those old good day's. mom was very clever when it comes to such moments. she could sing or crack joke's in order to make me fall in love with her song's. The journey was very short when such song's are on her mouth. I realised it but I couldn't do anything, I wished could have beaten her so that she pays back the hard treatment she used to give us. she was my mom. it was a cage with thorn's inside. life without happy ending. Birthday parties were for the rich in another blue city. 95% of the village monger's didn't know that there's a great city behind the thick forest. it requires someone to build strength within his/her mind of Change. I wanted to leave the village but circumstances were just too much. I started learning cooking different staff's around the compound when I was 7. mom has taught me a lot. I was a man of excitement when it comes to evening hours, everyone to his shamba. only the drunkards could have something to say after their porridge is moving up and down in their various nerve's. There was one family down our shamba with 7 children but all parents were drunkards. One day I thought of giving them a good lesson; I hid myself on a corner behind some hedge's. in no time I heard a soft voice the a bass from her husband. they used to speak any obscene language which resulted into cultivating the same culture to young children in the village. I whipped the lady first then the man.....in the thin air they disappeared with their cracked heel's. I laughed!!!!... next day I went to the same hiding place only to discover that they have stopped their foolish actions when drunk. I was happy to see that I have contributed something meaningful to my village.

Day's past years past as well. life became hard for my family. Dad was growing old mom too. I was the only boy to cherish them. There was silence when a'm not around the shamba. I was too busy with my own things. The responsibility to take care of the two started bothering me day and night. I started thinking of a better solution to bring an everyday smile on my mom's face. papa couldn't believe in me because of my past behaviour. He was 54 and I was clocking to 25 and mom was 42. I protested within myself. I was not educated and didn't had an Idea of going back to school. I missed the chance in my childhood era. I admired some young men speaking unknown language called English. I hated such moment's. worse still many of such people were my friends and very young but good at English. I tried to study books and many novels but it was too late. I used to enjoy Checking pictures in each and every book given. very young aged children used to laugh at me. sometimes I could hide after seeing some students passing by. A'm in a cage I said. I don't know how I will leave this life of begging. staying home doing nothing.

"your ability is to be farming my son papa said"..... I ignored him and left the scene. I walked straight to where some plate's were hoping to see an appetising meal but it was too late a cat was just there while clearing it's throat. I wanted to hit it but it was too late to do so. she looked at me and disappeared from my position using the back door. I produced a similar sound through my mouth but it didn't solved my question and problem.

ma'am!!!!! I cried where is my food? She was coming from my shambas direction carrying something heavy on her cloth. I gazed at her with contentment. my son go and bring a knife... without mucher do I obeyed. well ripen fruits were brought before me. I thanked the god's and Started peeling off the fruits. Remember to share with your papa...she said. I ..I....I...I cannot share with him for he's already old and these fruits are only irrigible for us young children not for the elderly. she looked at me with her shocking red eyes. I sensed danger and left while filling my mouth with such fruits. Happy I was. I sat in my room when a big snake entered. I felt strangely, my hair sensed danger all my body gave a signal that something horrible is in my room. I felt something very cold like ice between my legs. I jumped off and run out of my shamba. I called out but no one was their for my aid.

The moon was shining bright and I was able to see a big snake leaving my small apartment without causing any danger. I think the rat's are inviting such amazing creatures here. snoring with fear started implementing itself within my body.

what we do for you Richard? in the dream land I was greeted by two strange beautiful ladies. I wished to get one of them but I couldn't. I woke up early in the morning due to the coldness of my beddings. it was an unimaginable coldness one could not resist. when will I be able to sleep in a warm bed covers with comfortable dreams? I didn't saw anything else good poping up soon. there was no one to cheer me up. The sun was rising so fast than all the day's. I felt the greetings of an empty stomach. I searched for something to throw in my tummy but the garden was clear without any fruits.

I walked slowly to my parents shamba to see as to whether some leftovers from Papa's table were left..... only to discover that he's my fellow D7. He was a good man on solving food ridles. I remember to be invited to a food competition in the next village and it happened that he was crowned the food hero of his time. when did you met papa? I asked her. it was during the football match between our school and his school. we were losing the game and I gathered my fellow young girls to dance in support of our school. No one could believe that I can dance. I did it up to the extent of impressing our players. He was a good player will different skills but all stopped after seeing my bolingo dance. This made our school to win from behind. This stired him to start making some great advantages to me. I had a lot of men interested in me but his football career made me to have no choice. But why don't I find a good looking wife ma'am?.....my dear son. you are in a cage and you don't know what you want in life. we got plenty beautiful ladies in this village and all are crook's? let's open another chapter of the story. I left her outside. yes I agree ma'am... A'm in a cage.